The one-stop blog for every Modern Martha.

Menu

Category Archives: Miss Beauty

My whole life I’ve struggled with finding the right combination of products for my hair. Having naturally wavy hair, I went through the horrors of gel and hairspray, tried mousse and creams, and while some where better than others, I just couldn’t get it quite right. That is until my co-worker told me that his wife does a haircut specifically for those with curly/wavy hair. She went through special training for it and everything. I’d never heard of such a thing! I booked an appointment right away.

The style of cut was called a DevaCurl cut. The stylist cuts your hair dry because as all my curly-haired ladies know, your hair changes length and texture dramatically when going from wet to dry. As she did the haircut, she also gave me tips and advice on how I should be caring for and styling my hair. I also left with DevaCurl hair products. And, WOW! My hair went from wavy to full and curly. The transformation was amazing, it was like she had unleashed the full potential of my hair in one haircut. My hair has never been this curly and beautiful.

My advice to all Modern Martha’s, find a cut and stylist that is the best fit for your hair type and face. You will not regret it, it’s life changing!

Now ladies, I know we all love a good straw to drink our beverages in but is that really the best choice? From reusable drink beverage containers to adult beverages while we’re out, it might be best to limit the use of straws. Sound crazy? Wait until you read why.

Those same straws, if used too often, can give you wrinkles around your mouth – similar to a smoker. Think about it, essentially you are performing the same facial movement. Now I know none of us wants tha,t so let’s just watch how much we use our straws!

Looking for a cute way to wear your hair but don’t want to have it down? I can totally relate to that – especially with these brutal summer temperatures! Try out this braided side ponytail!

Steps:

Start off by doing the waterfall twist braid (click the link for helpful pictures and video). Take a section of hair on one side of your head, separate into three sections, and do 2 rounds of a regular braid. Drop the middle section between the other two sections and grab another section from the next part of your head and drop it between the original two pieces. Twist the original two pieces around the dropped piece. Continue this pattern until you reach the other side of your head.

While holding the braid, gather the rest of your hair and tie off your braided side ponytail!

Big curls are my go-to hairstyle when i want something cute and natural with a little hint of glam.

Achieving these curls is so much easier than it looks but will always turn heads and get you compliments. The way i like to get these curls is actually with my flat iron. Sound crazy? i’ll tell you why it isn’t – traditional curlers can leave your hair too curly. Personally, i’m not typically going for a Shirley Temple look … so the flat iron method is perfect.

Here’s how you do it:

Heat up the flat iron – you want it hot, but don’t go too crazy. Singed hair is not pretty.

Take a section of hair and place it in the flat iron (start at the top of the hair)

Pull the flat iron down the section of hair; as you pull down, continually turn the flat iron (i like to spin under, but you can try either way)

Have you tried gelish (gel) or shellac nail polish yet? In case you aren’t a frequent haver of manicures, the next time you do splurge and get one – try one of these two.

Both gel and shellac manicures are supposed to last longer than normal nail polish, and go over your natural nail. The are two differences from your end if you choose this option. One is that instead of letting your nails air dry or dry under a fan, if you opt for gel or shellac nail polish they will dry under UV lights and you’ll be good to go in under 10 minutes, with completely dry nails.

The second is when it comes time to take them off, the process is a bit more labor intensive than just wipe off the color with some nail polish remover. Typically your nail technician will have to either wrap or soak your fingers in concentrated nail polish remover for a few minutes. If you’ve ever had acrylic nails removed, the process is pretty similar.

Personally, I love changing up my nail color so I usually go with regular nail polish so that I can easily change colors whenever I feel like. But if I’m going on a trip or to an important function and I want to ensure that my nail color holds up, I would choose shellac. It’s been my experience that shellac holds up better and lasts longer than gel nail color.

What do you think, where do you land in the shellac vs. gel nail polish war?

Have you been having hair envy lately? Want your hair to look healthy, nourished, and shiny? Use this easy trick to get the look overnight!

When I feel like my hair is looking dull and dry, I put some of this Spa Wisdom Polynesia Monoi Miracle Oil ($20) from The Body Shop in my hair at night. Then I put it up in a bun, put a towel on my pillow to avoid oily residue on my pillowcase, then wash it out in the morning. Ta-da! Shiny, delicious smelling hair in the morning!

Worried that it will make your hair oily? Use just as much as necessary to coat your hair, without drenching it. Also, this product can be used on your skin as well. Try it on your gams for an eye-catching glisten.